Fight led to fatal shooting

STOCKTON - An argument led to a deadly shooting late Friday night outside a bustling downtown Stockton cineplex, authorities said.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - An argument led to a deadly shooting late Friday night outside a bustling downtown Stockton cineplex, authorities said.

Police responded to a report of a shooting shortly after 10 p.m. at Janet Leigh Plaza just outside the Regal City Centre 16 movie theater in the 200 block of North El Dorado Street. When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from several gunshot wounds, said Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department.

Witnesses told investigators the shooting stemmed from an argument that led to a fight. During the altercation, a third man pulled out a gun and shot the victim a number of times, Silva said. The victim was rushed to a hospital, where he died, Silva said.

The San Joaquin County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Francisco Erubey Sanchez, 30, of Stockton.

A section of the plaza near the cineplex entrance was cordoned off with crime scene tape for hours as homicide detectives and evidence technicians processed the scene.

The plaza is often packed with dozens of people on Friday nights, but most were inside the theater when the shooting occurred, Silva said. Police do not believe the victim or the gunman were patrons of the movie theater.

There appeared to be an increased police presence around the theater Saturday night, including a number of uniformed officers clustered near the entrance. An employee at the theater declined to comment.

The shooting came nine months after someone fired a gun inside the same cineplex. In that case, no one was hurt.

No arrests have been made in connection with Friday night's shooting and investigators have not released a description of the killer, Silva said. Detectives are trying to locate any video footage that may contain evidence. Police are asking anyone who may have captured cellphone footage to come forward.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Stockton Police Department at (209) 937-8377, the Investigations Unit at (209) 937-8323 or Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards up to $10,000. Callers can remain anonymous.

Cellphone users can text information to 274637 (CRIMES) by entering the keyword "TIPSPD" followed by their tip. Internet users can visit the Police Department's Facebook page and click "Submit a Tip."

Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8279 or janderson@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/crimeblog and on Twitter @Stockton911.